Two records set at memorial meet

The Saturday before Christmas, Pembroke Athleta maintained their annual appointment to organise a track and field memorial meeting in remembrance of one-time club secretary Joseph M. Gerada.

To cap the afternoon the meet witnessed two new national records being set, both in the Cadets category which is reserved for athletes 12 to 13 years of age.

In each instance the event was the shot putt, when Catriona Cuschieri (St Patrick’s AC) heaved the 2kg weight a distance of 9.92m to better the previous best mark of 9.71m.

Within a short lapse of time, relative newcomer Edward Bezzina (Pembroke) improved the old mark of 10.95m by 15 centimetres, to smash the record set in 2007.

Indeed, 2012 was a triumph for field events with a total of nine records established.

Other events on the afternoon included those at distances, meant to give a wider picture to the coaches about their athletes’ progress towards the new season ahead.

Events at 60m sprints saw Re-becca Camilleri post a good time of 7.71 seconds and Andy Grech 7.17 in the senior race.

Likewise encouraging were the times of Nicole Gatt and Eric Borg Saywell, 7.94 and 7.37 seconds respectively. Both were also impressive in the 150m with Gatt stopping the clock on 19.27 and Borg Saywell on 17.56.

Mario Mifsud, meanwhile, continued to show his mettle in the shot and discus with other notable results being registered at the meet’s 1,000m run, when Ibrahim Hussen stopped the clock on 2 minutes 41 seconds in the senior race.

In the race for youths, Luke Camilleri improved his time with a commanding 2:52.29 minutes while Laura Sammut, in the corresponding event for girls, clocked 3:15.43 minutes.

Undoubtedly, these two names will feature prominently in the long distance events in the immediate future.